Genesis Essentia Concept World Premiere

Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, has unveiled its groundbreaking Essentia Concept at the New York International Auto Show. The all-electric, high-performance concept elevates and reimagines the brand’s “Athletic Elegance” design paradigm, while providing a vision of future Genesis product performance and technology.

“We understand our obligation as a luxury car manufacturer to create objects of desire, sparking passion and inspiration by emphasizing a culture while exceeding expectations in terms of technology and connectivity, bringing our outside world seamlessly to the inside of the vehicle,” said Manfred Fitzgerald, Global Head of the Genesis Brand. “This is what the Genesis Essentia Concept is all about, and we are thrilled to introduce our interpretation of an all-electric, two-door Gran Turismo here in New York.”

Essentia is the brand’s first battery electric vehicle and features a lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque, a robust, multi-motor electric powertrain, and a custom-tailored interior. Essentia is the brand’s initial concept for a true GT car and challenges the status quo as the ultimate manifestation of Genesis design and engineering.

As a capable, thrilling sports car designed to counter the complexities of a modern lifestyle, Essentia offers serenity, clarity, and beauty.

Underneath the carbon-fibre monocoque of Essentia is a state-of-the-art, high-density battery pack and multiple electric motors that enable a powerful, confident driving experience.

The electric powertrain allowed Genesis Design to redefine classic GT proportions with an extremely low, transparent hood that flows seamlessly into the windshield and the “bubble” roof.

The battery pack is housed in the center tunnel in an I-shape structure, as opposed to underneath the passenger compartment. This allows Essentia to achieve a super-low 1,270 mm roofline and spacious, GT-style cabin. With an estimated 0-to-100 km/h time of 3.0 seconds, Essentia brings sports car-level performance to the realm of electric luxury coupes.

“The Genesis Essentia concept defines our vision for an electric Gran Turismo that integrates Athletic Elegance and Genesis DNA as defining parameters,” said Executive Vice President Luc Donckerwolke, Head of Genesis Design. “A Gran Turismo typology highlights our ambition as a luxurious car brand for the connoisseurs and it is the perfect base to project our DNA in the future.”

Weekly Voice’s journalist, Nauman Farooq, spoke with Mr. Fitzgerald at the 2018 NYIAS, and was told that if the Essentia Concept gets the green light, it can be put into production in about two years time, with prices starting at just under $100,000. The production ‘go ahead’ depends on publics reaction to this concept, so if enough people like it, the model will become a reality. Let’s hope it does!